


The beginning of a beautiful friendship

by x_manga_Bleach_x



Series: Ao3 & Discord Prompts [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Boggarts, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Protective Harry Potter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:08:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27900538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/x_manga_Bleach_x/pseuds/x_manga_Bleach_x
Summary: Prompt: BoggartTheo struggles to face his Boggart in Professor Lupin's class. Help comes from an unexpected source.[I do not own Harry Potter.]
Relationships: Poppy Pomfrey & Harry Potter, Theodore Nott & Harry Potter
Series: Ao3 & Discord Prompts [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2042863
Comments: 8
Kudos: 116





	The beginning of a beautiful friendship

**Author's Note:**

> Ao3 Prompt: Boggart ( _Anonymous_ )  
>  **Knockturn Tricks or Diagon Treats Collection**
> 
> English is not my mother tongue so I apologize for any error but, well, writing in English helps me. I was about to say Harry's a bit OOC because he was raised by others at some point but, well, I cut the story before I could mention it. Though Harry is still a bit OOC s, here's the reason why.

Theo is not scared. He's not. It's not like the wardrobe in front of him is inhabited by a dark creature who likes to disguise itself as your worst fears, right? Oh wait, this is exactly what it is. Theo wasn't easily scared. At least, he'd like to think so. He wasn't a coward like Malfoy and he was confident in his capacity to defend himself against an attack but... Boggarts were different. Mainly because they knew his worst fears. Theodore himself didn't know. Sure, he was frightened by Acromantulas and the likes but what scared him more than anything? If he had to choose, he'd say - 

“Alright, line up, everyone. Now that Mr Longbottom demonstrated the spell, it's your turn to face the Boggart.” 

Theo shakily stood up and hid behind Dean Thomas. Somehow, they ended in the first half of the line. 

Theo wasn't a coward but that didn't mean he was stupid. There was a reason (more than one, really) that Boggarts were classified XXX by Ministry Classification. It wasn't all that dangerous compared to a Runespoor or a Lethifold, but still. Anything that could take the shape of your worst fear was bound to be dangerous to you. 

Worst of all, no matter what form the Boggart would assume, Theo didn't want any of his classmate to witness it. How could professor Lupin do this? _Gryffindor_... 

Now, he wasn't one to take part in the House Rivalries Thing and he did not hate Gryffindors, he just... didn't particularly care for them either. Not like they cared for him. Most students probably didn't even know he existed so...

That being said, Theo knew that most bullies (at least, among those who bullied Slytherin students) were in Gryffindor. While Gryffindors may have been more courageous than the students from other houses (and that's up to debate according to some students because some lion cubs didn't strike them as brave), they tended to be more reckless too.

He snapped out of his train of thoughts when Thomas stepped back and he grunted when said Gryffindor stomped on his foot.

"Watch it!"

Of course, the other boy ignored it, not out of disdain for Nott, but because he was too busy looking at the giant snake that was now facing the Patil girl. At another time, he might have laughed when he saw Finnigan doing a shouting match against a Banshee, or when he saw that Dean Thomas was afraid of a disembodied hand, but he couldn’t, not when he knew what was waiting for him.

Then, it was his turn. Theo stood in front of the mouse-trap that had trapped the severed hand. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Theodore wasn't fooled: he knew the Boggart would act as soon as he let his guard down, maybe even before.

It happened suddenly. The hand and the mouse-trap disappeared and the cloud of dark smoke shaped itself into a humanoid form. The bile rose in his throat. He swallowed with difficulty when he recognized the gait of his father and when the severe look of his father landed on him.

He flinched when the dark gaze swept over him and the replica of his father gave him a hard look. Theo didn't know what his father saw, but he knew his father wasn't satisfied with him. Theo wasn't the kid he would have wanted. He was shy and introvert. He didn't talk much, didn't try to make allies. He had no trouble making 'friends' ( _allies_ , he reminded himself) with the older years because he didn't go looking for trouble and he was a hard-worker. That was the only reason his father didn't punish him for avoiding the Malfoy heir.

"Theodore."

Said boy flinched and staggered back. His cheeks reddened with shame and embarrassment when he heard the questions falling from his classmates' lips. Professor Lupin didn't move to help. His father took a step forward. Theo forgot how to breathe. He forgot that the man in front of him wasn't his father or that he was in class. It's not even like he even saw his father anymore. The man was in prison – Madame Bones had managed to trap him in his lies a few years back and Theodore Nott the Second confessed his membership in the Death Eater's Movement.

Since that day, Theo had been raised by his grandfather and, although Theodred Nott was not all that loving (as in, he rarely ever hugs Theo) he was enough.  
Theo raised a trembling arm and whispered the formula but nothing happened. The panic rose. He nearly groaned when he heard Granger say something in a smug tone.

Then, someone was in front of him, covering him from the sight of the Boggart. Theo blinked and glanced up, blinking again when he recognized the bird's nest that Potter called hair (though, Theo could not say much: his hair defied the laws of gravity).

What – What was going on?  
Behind the Gryffindor, he saw a huge man with a moustache and red face. The Boggart' he thought as the man pointed a pudgy finger at Potter.  
"BOY! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS! MAGIC IS NOT REAL! I -"  
"Riddikulus."

The word was uttered so silently that Theo barely heard him. The fat man exploded like a balloon and a heavy silence took place. Even Malfoy didn't say anything. Finally – finally, Lupin opened his mouth to say something. Theo knew he was being unfair toward the teacher but he couldn't help but think that if a Gryffindor had faced a Boggart this... personal like him, he would have said something or stopped it before. As it was, Potter had been the one to save Theo and he had exposed himself in the process. Which, by the way – What the fuck?!

What was that?

Whatever it was, Potter had been much calmer than him when faced with his Boggart.

Potter glanced down at him, avoiding any other pair of eyes, then offered Theo a hand. The Slytherin blinked, then shyly took it as he rose to his feet.

Potter had never done anything to him or any other students as far as he knew. Of course, Malfoy loved to rant and complain about Potter but everybody in Slytherin agreed that the brat was always the one to start a fight. Theo had been curious about the other boy but he would have never had the courage to go talk to him before and now... Well, now, everybody knew he was scared of his Death Eater father but... then again, Potter's Boggart was telling a story of its own.

Theo glanced down at their intertwined hands and blushed. The silence was heavy in the classroom.

Potter sighed and turned toward the stunned teacher.

"We both faced the Boggart, sir. I'll be taking Theodore to the infirmary, now."

Lupin looked like he wanted to protest but he just nodded and let them go.

Dazed, Theo followed Potter when the Gryffindor boy tugged at his hand. The boy was smaller than him, by a few inches which was a feat since Theo was one of the smaller boys in their year.

"Here."

The Slytherin blinked. Ah. His school bag.

He muttered a 'thank you' and they were on their way.

They didn't talk about what happened in the classroom. Theo suspected that Potter knew who was his boggart and – and Theo wasn't sure he was ready to find out about Potter's Boggart, though he did have a strong suspicion. Everybody knew the Boy-Who-Lived had been sent to live with his muggle relatives and with the way he looked like an urchin ( _yes, he knew that muggle saying_ ) back in first year... It wasn't all that hard to draw some conclusions.

The two 3rd years passed the doors of the infirmary in comfortable silence and were immediately assaulted by Mrs Pomfrey. Oh, so Potter wasn't lying when he told Lupin they'd go there. Huh.

"Everything's fine, Poppy," Potter said.

So, Potter was so familiar with the school nurse that she let him get away with calling her by her first name? Then again, Potter did hold the record of the time passed at the infirmary.

"We just had a lesson in Boggarts. Do you have any chocolate for Mr Nott ?"

So now it 'Nott' again? Maybe the bout of familiarity back in the classroom was to throw off Lupin. Who knew, with Potter?

"It's just Harry, you know."

Theo blinked again. Had he said that out loud?

"Yes, you did."

Dammit. He needed to stop doing that.

"Yes, you do."

But this time, Theo could see the Gryffindor smiling at him. He smiled back, somewhat shyly.

Mrs Pomfrey gave them each a piece of chocolate and when Pott – Harry, blinked back at her, she muttered angrily (but not really) that he needed it too. The nurse told Theo that Harry told her that chocolate was a cure against sadness, according to the muggles and so, she gave them chocolate.

Theo wanted to protest: he wasn't sad. He wasn't! But perhaps, perhaps he was... just a bit. And maybe Harry was sad too, judging by the expression on his face.

Neither opened on the matter of the Boggart but, when they left the infirmary, forty minutes later, a tentative friendship was born between them. It wouldn't be easy. Whispers travel fast. They both knew that, by the end of the day, everybody would know what happened in the 3rd years' DADA class but, they'll manage. They'd had each other's back now.

**Author's Note:**

>  _It ends rather abruptly and for that, I apologize._  
>  Thanks for reading.


End file.
